For Love of Team™ | Winston Faircloth

100: Team Love Redeems Founder

This week, we wrap up Season 2 with a significant milestone - our 100th episode! To celebrate, we're having fan favorite Mark Ross return to interview Winston about his entrepreneurial journey to creating, For Love of Team. “You know the term “For love of the Game”? I was on a walk one day, and somehow, it just came to my mind that for love of team was what I was missing as the CEO of a very successful multi-million dollar company. I had started a business because I had an idea of how ...

099: Three C’s of Culture at The Refuge Center with Amy Alexander

Amy Alexander is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Refuge Center for Counseling in Franklin, Tennessee, where the Center serves more than 30,000 counseling sessions to over 4,000 clients annually. As a nonprofit, Amy is always wrestling with how to retain quality people on her team. And for her, it's the culture they create day-to-day that retains the best people. Amy encourages and supports culture through her ‘Three C’s approach’ of connection, character, and continuous growth wi...

098: Conquering Digital Distractions with Dr. Kristy Goodwin

In this week’s episode, we're chatting with Dr. Kristy Goodwin who is on a mission to promote employee wellbeing and bolster workplace productivity. With the pandemic accelerating the work from home (WFH) movement, how we work online and how we disconnect while living in the same place is more important than ever.  “I've never had a genius idea looking in my inbox or working in an Excel spreadsheet. I have most certainly had one when I've been swimming or been for a run, or in the shower. ...

097: Core Values with Victoria Mininger, Founder of Bear Creek Outdoor Living

In this week’s episode, we're continuing our series on how values drive success in business. We are chatting with industry experts to gain their insight on developing Core Values that create a winning team. We're bringing back one of our favorite guests Victoria Mininger, Founder of Bear Creek Outdoor Living. Victoria strives to see each one of her team members thrive, learn, and grow. She shares her journey on how this core value became such a centerpiece of her business. “We (my husband...

096: Core Values with Craig Wood, CEO of Premier International

In this week’s episode, we're continuing our series on how values drive success in business. We are chatting with industry experts to gain their insight on developing Core Values that create a winning team.  We're bringing back one of our favorite guests Craig Wood, CEO of Premier International. Craig is a seasoned CEO and Board member who understands how to get the best out of a company and its employees. He is passionate about personal development for his team and the impact that culture ...

098: Craig Wood

095: Core Values with Teresa McCloy, The REALIFE Process

On this week's podcast  we introduce a new interview series where we will be chatting with industry experts to gain their insight on developing Core Values that create a winning team.  We kick off this interview series with Teresa McCloy -- a Certified Coach, Speaker, and Enneagram Professional. Teresa was once a workaholic who spent much of her time looking for affirmation through her productivity. After her family experienced a personal crisis, Teresa knew it was time to look inward and ...

094: Who do YOU Love?

On this week’s episode, we discuss how by building a business from a state of ‘love’ you will see your success grow exponentially.  When you surround yourself with people working in their gifting and focused on a common mission, not only do you get to spend more time working where you're most gifted, but you also create this virtuous cycle where your clients are being loved and your product just keeps getting better.  So, as a leader where can you show love in your business?  Love of Prod...

093: How to Create an HOF Team!

Hall of Fame.  Shrines to outstanding achievement.  A place to remember and recognize legends in sports, business and arts.  Many of these accomplishments focus on individual accomplishments.  Others recognize a team effort.   Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to be on a HOF team.  In this week’s episode, I’d like to focus on another use of the letters HOF.  It’s the opposite of Hall of Fame work.  Can you guess what this HOF stands for?   Hair on Fire.  What does the “Hair On...

093: How to Create an HOF Team!

Hall of Fame.  Shrines to outstanding achievement.  A place to remember and recognize legends in sports, business and arts.  Many of these accomplishments focus on individual accomplishments.  Others recognize a team effort.   Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to be on a HOF team.  In this week’s episode, I’d like to focus on another use of the letters HOF.  It’s the opposite of Hall of Fame work.  Can you guess what this HOF stands for?   Hair on Fire.  What does the “Hair On...

092: NOT Lonely at the Top

In this week’s episode, we talk about a familiar expression that founders and leaders of businesses often face.  “It’s lonely at the top”.  Tim Cook, CEO of Apple famously said, “It’s sort of a lonely job. The adage that it’s lonely — the CEO job is lonely — is accurate in a lot of ways. I’m not looking for any sympathy. You have to recognize that you have blind spots. We all do.” As Cook notes, it’s in these blind spots where the feeling of loneliness can be most apparent. As a busines...

091: Establishing Collaboration Channels

In this week’s episode, I want to share a hard lesson from my time leading a team of 30 people distributed across four time zones.  A popular acronym from that time was MBWA (Management by Wandering Around). It was the practice of leaders wandering around the office, in an unstructured manner, at random, to check with employees, equipment, or on the status of ongoing work. One of the greatest benefits to the WFH (work from home) movement is that it has dramatically reduced the interrup...

090: How Strong Core Values Builds a Stronger Core Team

What would it be like to have a 24/7 coach for each of your team members? On this week’s podcast episode we talk about how you can achieve this. Core value statements serve as a 24/7 coach to your team members, providing practical guidance for how you and your team show up for one another, and how you handle your clients and your customers. Imagine having a set of core values so well stated and clear that you no longer have to be the go-to person in every situation that comes up in your o...

089: Being clear on your Mission, Vision, and Values

In this week’s podcast episode, we dig into two essential leadership decisions in business, creating a compelling why and a clear what to build a team you love. But before you can define these, you need to be clear on your mission, vision, and values. Why does this matter? Without defining your business's purpose first, you won't be able to clearly define the what and why of your team’s purpose. By doing so you create a feeling of vagueness and disconnection between the person and the goal....

088: Hiring Team Members - Cost or Investment?

Hiring is a business cost that I can't afford right now.  In this week’s episode , we get to the problem faced the most by solopreneurs building their very first team, the cost.   Let us ask you, what kind of cost is hiring?  Do you look at a gym membership as just a cost? or an investment in your future health?  Is your mortgage a household cost? Or an investment in your future?  So is hiring a team a business cost? Or is it an investment in you? We’d argue it's the latter.  Think abo...

087: The hidden cost of doing everything yourself

In this episode we do a deep dive on this question: What does it cost to do everything yourself? The bottom line is that as the leader of your organization, doing something you don't like or are not good at is the largest expense to your company, bar none.  This is because there's 10 times more energy and time wasted trying to master a new skill, or procrastinating on the action due to lack of interest or time.  Therefore, when you start to create a team, you're already getting a 10x r...

086: How Collaboration leads to a win-win for leaders and teams

“Here's the deadline and this is how I want you to do it.  And if you don't do it the way I want, you may have to do it over and over until it’s right.”  As a team member, there's nothing more demotivating than this. A+ talent will not hang around to find out what the next job is and the step by step ‘how’ you want it done.  In today's podcast episode we explore leadership methods, and how one can lead to a spiral of unenjoyment and damaged working relationships, while the other can set yo...

086: How Collaboration leads to a win-win for leaders and teams

“Here's the deadline and this is how I want you to do it.  And if you don't do it the way I want, you may have to do it over and over until it’s right.”  As a team member, there's nothing more demotivating than this. A+ talent will not hang around to find out what the next job is and the step by step ‘how’ you want it done.  In today's podcast episode we explore leadership methods, and how one can lead to a spiral of unenjoyment and damaged working relationships, while the other can set yo...

085: Charting a New Path following a Founder | J.R. Howard | UPIC Solutions

Six years ago, Winston Faircloth stepped down from the technology organization he helped to build over a 15 year period.  As a founder, one of the hardest things you can do is to “let your baby go”.  Yet, the prior 12 months had been filled with turmoil and internal discord -- it was no longer fun, senior leaders were at odds with one another, and the organization was experiencing higher than normal turnover.  After an extensive search process, UPIC Solutions found their new leader from ...

Episode 084: UNLOCK Innovation

In the Indian fable about the blind men who each touched a different part of the element, we aren’t surprised to see that an argument breaks out. Each man trusted his own perception to guide him. Until someone with sight coached them on their error, they made assumptions about the whole. Within an organization, leaders can easily find themselves in the shoes of blind men. With a limited field of view, they make assumptions about the entire organization, process, and team.  Just before reco...

084: UNLOCK Innovation

In the Indian fable about the blind men who each touched a different part of the element, we aren’t surprised to see that an argument breaks out. Each man trusted his own perception to guide him. Until someone with sight coached them on their error, they made assumptions about the whole. Within an organization, leaders can easily find themselves in the shoes of blind men. With a limited field of view, they make assumptions about the entire organization, process, and team.  Just before reco...

084: UNLOCK Innovation

In the Indian fable about the blind men who each touched a different part of the element, we aren’t surprised to see that an argument breaks out. Each man trusted his own perception to guide him. Until someone with sight coached them on their error, they made assumptions about the whole. Within an organization, leaders can easily find themselves in the shoes of blind men. With a limited field of view, they make assumptions about the entire organization, process, and team.  Just before reco...

083: Showing Up as You, Inc.

The impact of the pandemic over this past year has hit everyone. While no one would argue that healthcare and frontline workers have felt it the hardest, the next largest industry might just be the change management professionals.   These individuals have worked for years to persuade businesses and teams to embrace needed change in organizations. But few people and employers are comfortable trying new things when the comfortable, old way of doing things is still an option.  But, in 2020, e...

Episode 083: Showing Up as You, Inc.

The impact of the pandemic over this past year has hit everyone. While no one would argue that healthcare and frontline workers have felt it the hardest, the next largest industry might just be the change management professionals.   These individuals have worked for years to persuade businesses and teams to embrace needed change in organizations. But few people and employers are comfortable trying new things when the comfortable, old way of doing things is still an option.  But, in 2020, e...

083: Showing Up as You, Inc.

The impact of the pandemic over this past year has hit everyone. While no one would argue that healthcare and frontline workers have felt it the hardest, the next largest industry might just be the change management professionals.   These individuals have worked for years to persuade businesses and teams to embrace needed change in organizations. But few people and employers are comfortable trying new things when the comfortable, old way of doing things is still an option.  But, in 2020, e...

082: Not hiring a team comes at a great cost

Comic strips and funny stories abound with humorous anecdotes about clogged sinks and how homeowners make things worse before calling in a professional to fix the problem.  There’s a reason they are funny.  Because it’s a universal experience.  We have a problem. We think we can fix it. Only to discover that the fix we tried made the problem worse. After several experiences like this, most people will call a plumber before they attempt anything other than running the garbage disposal or ...

082: Not hiring a team comes at a great cost

Comic strips and funny stories abound with humorous anecdotes about clogged sinks and how homeowners make things worse before calling in a professional to fix the problem.  There’s a reason they are funny.  Because it’s a universal experience.  We have a problem. We think we can fix it. Only to discover that the fix we tried made the problem worse. After several experiences like this, most people will call a plumber before they attempt anything other than running the garbage disposal or ...

Episode 082: Not hiring a team comes at a great cost

Comic strips and funny stories abound with humorous anecdotes about clogged sinks and how homeowners make things worse before calling in a professional to fix the problem.  There’s a reason they are funny.  Because it’s a universal experience.  We have a problem. We think we can fix it. Only to discover that the fix we tried made the problem worse. After several experiences like this, most people will call a plumber before they attempt anything other than running the garbage disposal or ...

081: You can afford to hire help early in your biz

Whether it’s a home improvement weekend adventure, a quick renovation, or flooring or paint refresh, Americans love DIY projects.  In fact, in 2020 the total sales of all 3 types of home improvement stores totaled more than $450 billion dollars. And HGTV’s website attracts an average of 10.2 million visitors each month. That’s a lot of DIY! But when it comes to your business, trying to DIY-ing it is holding you back. You’ll get further, faster, when you build a team. And you may be thin...

081: You can afford to hire help early in your biz

Whether it’s a home improvement weekend adventure, a quick renovation, or flooring or paint refresh, Americans love DIY projects.  In fact, in 2020 the total sales of all 3 types of home improvement stores totaled more than $450 billion dollars. And HGTV’s website attracts an average of 10.2 million visitors each month. That’s a lot of DIY! But when it comes to your business, trying to DIY-ing it is holding you back. You’ll get further, faster, when you build a team. And you may be thin...

Episode 081: You can afford to hire help early in your biz

Whether it’s a home improvement weekend adventure, a quick renovation, or flooring or paint refresh, Americans love DIY projects.  In fact, in 2020 the total sales of all 3 types of home improvement stores totaled more than $450 billion dollars. And HGTV’s website attracts an average of 10.2 million visitors each month. That’s a lot of DIY! But when it comes to your business, trying to DIY-ing it is holding you back. You’ll get further, faster, when you build a team. And you may be thin...

080: Why there’s now two I’s in Team

It’s easy for businesses to get caught up in the day-to-day and not look at the current trends and how things are shifting and changing.  But when that happens, big names like Blockbuster and Kodak go the way of dinosaurs and buffalo.  To stay current, you have to be aware of fundamental shifts in how businesses operate. And one of the most significant is the move away from traditional leadership and management with employees and staff to integrated teams - whether you’re working with W2s ...

080: Why there’s now two I’s in Team

It’s easy for businesses to get caught up in the day-to-day and not look at the current trends and how things are shifting and changing.  But when that happens, big names like Blockbuster and Kodak go the way of dinosaurs and buffalo.  To stay current, you have to be aware of fundamental shifts in how businesses operate. And one of the most significant is the move away from traditional leadership and management with employees and staff to integrated teams - whether you’re working with W2s ...

Episode 080: Why there’s Two I’s in Team

It’s easy for businesses to get caught up in the day-to-day and not look at the current trends and how things are shifting and changing.  But when that happens, big names like Blockbuster and Kodak go the way of dinosaurs and buffalo.  To stay current, you have to be aware of fundamental shifts in how businesses operate. And one of the most significant is the move away from traditional leadership and management with employees and staff to integrated teams - whether you’re working with W2s ...

079: Hiring for Cultural Add, Not Fit

There are around 400,000 different flowering plants, over 60,000 tree species, and 8.7 million species of animals!  Clearly God designed, created, and appreciates variety.  All too often in business, though, new employees get hired based on cultural fit which can lead to hiring team members who think the same, act the same, have similar experiences, and agree with each other.  But when team members are hired for the culture “add” of bringing more variety to the workplace it benefits every...

079: Hiring for Cultural Add, Not Fit

There are around 400,000 different flowering plants, over 60,000 tree species, and 8.7 million species of animals!  Clearly God designed, created, and appreciates variety.  All too often in business, though, new employees get hired based on cultural fit which can lead to hiring team members who think the same, act the same, have similar experiences, and agree with each other.  But when team members are hired for the culture “add” of bringing more variety to the workplace it benefits every...

078: Evolving an Employee-First AND Client-First Culture | Craig Wood | Premier International

The 1980s were filled with money-hungry firms who were getting rich at all costs. As my podcast guest, Craig Wood, mentions in our interview, that was reflected in the entertainment of the time. Like fictional Wall Street character, Gordon Gekko, who famously stated, “Greed is good.”  But Craig’s father-in-law, Jim, wanted to do things differently.  He and his wife, Dune, started Premier International, a software consulting company rooted in ethics and built on relationships. They hired co...

078: Evolving an Employee-First AND Client-First Culture | Craig Wood | Premier International

The 1980s were filled with money-hungry firms who were getting rich at all costs. As my podcast guest, Craig Wood, mentions in our interview, that was reflected in the entertainment of the time. Like fictional Wall Street character, Gordon Gekko, who famously stated, “Greed is good.”  But Craig’s father-in-law, Jim, wanted to do things differently.  He and his wife, Dune, started Premier International, a software consulting company rooted in ethics and built on relationships. They hired co...

078: Evolving an Employee-First AND Client-First Culture (Craig Wood)

The 1980s were filled with money-hungry firms who were getting rich at all costs. As my podcast guest, Craig Wood, mentions in our interview, that was reflected in the entertainment of the time. Like fictional Wall Street character, Gordon Gekko, who famously stated, “Greed is good.”  But Craig’s father-in-law, Jim, wanted to do things differently.  He and his wife, Dune, started Premier International, a software consulting company rooted in ethics and built on relationships. They hired co...

077 Collaboration Not Delegation (part 2)

Did you start your business to keep track of the bookkeeping? Or to become a marketing expert? Or write all the copy? Or maybe you looked forward to taking care of the mail and holding meetings?  Probably not.  If I had to guess, I’d say that you started your business because you were passionate about providing a product or service that you love. But then you discovered that running a business is so much more than just fulfilling the services you offer. And now you may be feeling stuck. Y...

077 Collaboration Not Delegation (part 2)

Did you start your business to keep track of the bookkeeping? Or to become a marketing expert? Or write all the copy? Or maybe you looked forward to taking care of the mail and holding meetings?  Probably not.  If I had to guess, I’d say that you started your business because you were passionate about providing a product or service that you love. But then you discovered that running a business is so much more than just fulfilling the services you offer. And now you may be feeling stuck. Y...

Episode 076: Collaboration, Not Delegation

From movies to concerts or sports - everywhere you look in the field of entertainment, you see how specialists come together to create a whole that’s better than its parts.  Those specialists aren’t order-takers. They’re captains of their own work...even when that work is part of someone else’s whole. When leaders forget that, chaos ensues. This week’s podcast episode explores the mistake most leaders make when they delegate (a word I believe should never be spoken again) and what they sho...

076: Collaboration, Not Delegation

From movies to concerts or sports - everywhere you look in the field of entertainment, you see how specialists come together to create a whole that’s better than its parts.  Those specialists aren’t order-takers. They’re captains of their own work...even when that work is part of someone else’s whole. When leaders forget that, chaos ensues. This week’s podcast episode explores the mistake most leaders make when they delegate (a word I believe should never be spoken again) and what they sho...

075: The Power of Procrastination

You can find all kinds of leadership quotes that talk about being a captain. And there’s some truth in most of them but a pithy quote doesn’t capture all of the critical aspects of becoming a captain in your business.  As you grow in your leadership journey you may find yourself on the same journey as many of my clients - sailing from captive to captain.  If you want to grow your business and, at the same time, multiply your impact, income, margin and freedom, it’s time to take the wheel. ...

075: The Power of Procrastination

You can find all kinds of leadership quotes that talk about being a captain. And there’s some truth in most of them but a pithy quote doesn’t capture all of the critical aspects of becoming a captain in your business.  As you grow in your leadership journey you may find yourself on the same journey as many of my clients - sailing from captive to captain.  If you want to grow your business and, at the same time, multiply your impact, income, margin and freedom, it’s time to take the wheel. ...

074: Shared Mission (Matthew Purkey)

When your organization is tasked with taking care of the community’s needs, it seems obvious where your focus should be. But listen to my conversation with Matthew Purkey, CEO of United Way of Allen County, and his For Love of Team story and you’ll hear some surprising things. “Instead of focusing on all the community needs, I focused on the team and the team took care of the community needs.” That sounds like For Love of Team to me! Tune into this episode and you’ll get: The 2 surprisi...

074: Shared Mission | Matthew Purkey | United Way of Allen County

When your organization is tasked with taking care of the community’s needs, it seems obvious where your focus should be. But listen to my conversation with Matthew Purkey, CEO of United Way of Allen County, and his For Love of Team story and you’ll hear some surprising things. “Instead of focusing on all the community needs, I focused on the team and the team took care of the community needs.” That sounds like For Love of Team to me! Tune into this episode and you’ll get: The 2 surprisi...

073: Moving from Captive to Captain of your Business

Business owners don’t start a business because they love running a business; they start a business because they love providing a specific product or service and want the freedom that comes with being their own boss.   All too quickly, the demands of running a business overwhelm the joy of providing the product or service. This is where many business owners burn out and hit the wall. You can’t make more money or have more time because you’re doing everything yourself, or your customers aren’...

072: Serve First and Your Team | Bobby Klinck & Katie Chase

In this episode, Team Klinck’s Bobby Klinck and Katie Chase join me for the second half of our conversation about building a team you love. The 3 of us tackle the big question about what is your purpose in your life and how does that relate to running a business. And we look at how Team Klinck is promoting a counter-intuitive “Serve First” philosophy and, while that could be seen as a sales tactic, it has already made HUGE ripple effects in and on their community. In addition to the prank ...

072: Serve First and Your Team (Bobby Klinck & Katie Chase)

In this episode, Team Klinck’s Bobby Klinck and Katie Chase join me for the second half of our conversation about building a team you love. The 3 of us tackle the big question about what is your purpose in your life and how does that relate to running a business. And we look at how Team Klinck is promoting a counter-intuitive “Serve First” philosophy and, while that could be seen as a sales tactic, it has already made HUGE ripple effects in and on their community. In addition to the prank ...